printed matter of any kind, much less a book, ever could be a plaything to Isaac Hecker.  He often made more of the sentences on a scrap of newspaper, and studied them far harder, than the writer of them himself had done.  A man whose play and work are in such problems as, how God is known, how the Trinity subsists, what beatitude is, how God’s being is mirrored in man’s activity, has too real a life within him and about him to tarry long in fiction or in any of the by-roads of literature.  Poetry, however, in its higher forms, or with a strong ethical tendency, he was very fond of.  Perhaps his favorite among the poets was Coventry Patmore.

After returning to New York Father Hecker, besides supervising the editorial work of The Catholic World, wrote an occasional article for its pages.  The more important of these, twelve in number, with the Exposition as a leader, were published in a volume already mentioned, The Church and the Age. This book appeared in 1887, and contains his views of the religious problems in Europe and America, and also some controversial writings against orthodox Protestantism and Unitarianism.  These are well-written, clean-cut, and aggressive pieces of polemical writing, whether against the errors of Protestants or of infidels. The Church and the Age is the best exhibit of the author’s opinions and principles on topics of religious interest and those of race and epoch having a religious bearing.  He has left a considerable amount of unpublished matter, notably some essays on how God is known, the reality of ideas, and the Trinity, together with much on spiritual subjects.  Let us hope that these and more of his unpublished writings will some day be given to the public.  He always found difficulty in preparing matter for the press.  Using a pencil and a rubber eraser, he often positively wore the paper through with writing, correcting, and writing again.  He seemed scrupulous about such matters, and in these circumstances he lacked the immediate expression of his thoughts which came to him so spontaneously in his letters and diaries, as well as in his public speaking.  But he dictated readily, and with a result of reaching quickly the form of words he would finally be content with.  By this means he prepared his articles on Doctor Brownson, which appeared in The Catholic World between April and November, 1887.

His intercourse with the members of the community was naturally much interfered with by his illness.  But he loved to listen to them speaking of their work, was greatly interested in the building and decorating of the new church, and when the missionaries came home was eager to hear them tell of their success.  He would invariably suggest that we should study how to extend our preaching outside the regular missions, so as to take in non-Catholics.  He was also alive to opportunities for stimulating others, in and out of the community, to do literary work.  At Lake George, where he spent his summers with the community,